Genre: Dystopian Fantasy Adventure, Young Adult / New Adult
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Rating: 4.5 / 5
The Labyrinth Wall, by Emilyann
Girdner, is a fast-paced dystopian fantasy. Girdner's first novel of
the Obsidian series took off running and the action never stopped.
Araina—a strong, independent young woman—is keeping to her loner
routine within the dangerous walls of the labyrinth, when suddenly
her sense of place and purpose is forever changed after witnessing a
mysterious man emerge from one of the labyrinth's walls.
The labyrinth is a dangerous,
fantastical place full of unique creatures and gruesome death. Its
inhabitants are all starved and must compete for resources. While I
easily adapted to the setting, the rapid introduction of new
characters disoriented me early on in my reading. I never did get a
strong sense of Simul, the main villain. There was also some
confusion about the age of the male characters, namely Darith and
Korun. However, once I recognized that the characters were all
roughly the same age, I was impressed with how Girdner managed to
juggle such a large cast of characters, all the while keeping each
voice unique. Araina and Blue's relationship was especially sweet and
refreshing.
I also liked how there are so many
romantic coupling possibilities for Araina—will she eventually find
love with Darith, Korun, Soll, or will she be perfectly content with
platonic relationships with all of her new companions—something
altogether new and rewarding for her.
I look forward to the second
installment in the Obsidian series and am eager to see Araina grow
and flourish in her expanding worldview.
Also, I heart labyrinths and mazes.
No comments:
Post a Comment